


We Are Alone But Still Together (Daryl Dixon X Reader)

by MiyakoNanashi



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, Inspired by The Walking Dead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:53:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 18,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25821679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MiyakoNanashi/pseuds/MiyakoNanashi
Summary: "Don't look at me...""Why? You are the best in this damn world."[STORY - 2017] - Wattpad - (possible grammatical errors)
Relationships: Daryl Dixon & You, Daryl Dixon/You
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my second most read story (for now) on Wattpad actually and I hope you'll like it as well.

》There were days when Y/N set off for the most part and was mostly alone. She had no one to keep her company. She has always hated loneliness long before the end of the world. Y/N loved to listen and watch people talk because she could understand many things, so much so that she even wanted to study to become a psychologist. But now it didn't make sense anymore. For months she had not seen a living person speak or have feelings. Now she sees only living dead, shifting bodies that are free of everything that once made her seem so human. The dead have only an insatiable hunger, a primal instinct that makes them brutal creatures. Y/N did not like to call her dead... Dead are underground and do not devour people... Their memory lives in the minds of the people who once loved them. These are just carcasses in an obvious state of decomposition.《

Hunger strikes made themselves felt and devoured you very slowly inside. You had no food and only little water. No animals, no streams, no survivors. Nothing. Only dry trees. Rotting bodies are scattered on the ground, along with the falling leaves, forming a large red, orange, and brown carpet, a sign of an approaching autumn... The leaves crunch under your boots and attract the attention of some Walkers. So you hide behind a bush of red berries and wait for the Walkers to pass, because you didn't want to waste your little remaining power. The waiting is unnerving and anxiety begins to rise. "What happens to me? I never reacted that way." Killing had become a normal thing, an everyday thing. To survive. This is the only rule in this world. Your eyes didn't see anything, but you still heard footsteps. An unusual gait, a constant step, interrupted by an almost human rhythm. It did not drag its feet behind it, nor did it smell of a disgusting smell of decay and decomposed, rotten flesh. You noticed a cold, sticky hand that suddenly touched your bare shoulder. You jumped up and pointed your bow at his neck. But you could hardly believe your own eyes. Your breasts were shared by the tip of a crossbow. It felt like your heart was beating briefly and your vision was clouded.

"Take that damn bow from my throat or I'll kill you."

You recovered and looked closer at the person in front of you. A man of indefinite age, dark brown hair, blue eyes, unkempt beard and well exposed muscles. Not bad at all.

"I don't even think so, you better take your crossbow away from my tits!"

The man looked threateningly at you and lowered his eyes to your breasts, blushing, grinning and slowly approaching the other weapon on his leg.

"Could you take that thing off me now?"

You looked at him for a moment, looking intensely in the eyes, looking for an answer, a confirmation, something that told you you could trust him. Later, you put the bow down again. The man kept looking at you and you couldn't understand his intentions. What if he wanted to rape you? What if he wanted to feed the Walker for fun? What should you do? Running away? Stay? You don't know. After all, he could have killed you a moment before by shooting down the arrow and it would all be over. No pain, no suffering and you wouldn't be looking for a shelter anymore. Only darkness and a deep sleep. But you wouldn't have lived in anyone's memories. All your loved ones are gone. There was no one left.

"I'm Daryl, Daryl Dixon, who are you?"

You looked at him again, but lost yourself in his piercing blue eyes.

"Did you eat your tongue?"

"Sorry... I'm Y/N."

Suddenly it became quiet. He looked over your shoulder, took your forearm and began to ran. You couldn't understand what was happening and your powers were finally leaving you. You stumbled over a rock and fell to the ground, your eyes began to blur and shortly thereafter you lost your senses.

"Hey look, she wakes up!"

"Keep your mouth shut!"

You slowly opened your eyes and a light blinded you.

"Hey, are you okay, Y/N?"

How did they know your name? Where are you? Was it heaven or hell?

"Y/N, are you alright?"

"Where am I?"

Beside you sat a young girl, short-haired, two very clear eyes, and her smile lit up her face. On the other side of the bed, an Korean boy sat and looked visibly worried.

"Don't worry, you're safe now."

"Daryl?"

"I see you have already met our Redneck! He brought you here the other day, a group of looters followed you and you happened to stumble and hit your head and you became unconscious."

"I understand... Sorry..."

The girl looked at you in surprise.

"Why should you apologize?"

"Well... for the problems... I know that I'm a heavy burden."

The boy, who had not opened his mouth in the meantime, approached the bed and smiled sweetly.

"You are no burden, it is always nice to find a survivor."

"We brought you clean clothes, we wait below to introduce you to the others!"

You took off your dirty shirt and scruffy jeans and looked at yourself in the mirror. Visibly protruding ribs, bony and fragile arms, legs so thin that they looked crooked. Tears filled your eyes... At that moment Daryl saw you. He stopped for a moment at the edge of the door and looked at you. You took the T-shirt off the floor and visibly ashamed you covered yourself. The man spun around and closed the door.

"I came to see you."

You dressed quickly without talking too much.

"I'm fine, thanks for coming around now, I'm done."

Daryl turned slowly and looked at you again. He studied you carefully, as if a hunter was studying his prey before attacking it. You looked down at him and crossed his clear, penetrating blue eyes. How you hate to be watched...

"I'll wait for you downstairs."

He silently left the room. You had a lump in your stomach, but it was not because of hunger, this time it was different. You were afraid. You didn't know who you would meet down there, let alone if they would accept you. At that moment, you would be the center of attention. Another thing that you hated. You walked down the corridor and down the stairs very slowly, making no noise so as not to drop all eyes on you, which almost delayed the meeting with the new group of strangers. As you took the last step, you began to hear voices. Some are male, some female, some older and some daintier and almost childish. Some laughed while others were serious and worried. So you closed your eyes and for a brief moment you looked into your past life. The family dinner, where all relatives laugh and joke happily, without being aware of the imminent arrival of death. Then you opened your eyes so as not to cry, and with visibly clear eyes, you forced yourself and went to the kitchen. At that moment, it was quiet and all eyes were now on you...


	2. Chapter 2

About ten people of different ages were present in the room. An elderly man with white hair and stern eyes approached you and touched the left side of your head. His hand was warm, soft, moving skillfully and deliberately. He knew what he was doing. He looked at you for a moment, right in your eyes and smiled lovingly.

“The wound is not completely healed yet, but in a few days it will disappear. Come, sit down with us.”

The man pointed to an empty chair next to a very serious and silent man. So you sat down and lowered your still aching head slightly.

“I’m Rick Grimes, nice to meet you.”

“I am Y/N and it is also my pleasure.”

“Those you see in front of you are some members of our group, others watch out that Walkers do not approach this building. After breakfast, I’ll wait for you outside, I have to ask you a few questions.”

He got up, put his revolver to the side of the window, followed the old man and both went out of the door. You were alone in a room full of unknown people and Daryl was not there. As well as visibly tense and worried you didn’t know what to do, what to say and above all, what to expect. It took less than ten minutes for the atmosphere to spread, thanks to the girl who kindly explained where you were, her name was Maggie. You started to listen to the people sitting in the kitchen and in that short time you could understand many things. Lori, Rick’s wife, was a very strong woman, determined and very protective of her son Carl, who followed her movements attentively. Maggie was the old man’s daughter, Hershel, and the sister of a blond, silent girl named Beth. Dale, a very nice and sociable man, introduced you to the Korean boy, Glenn, and he started to ask you a few questions.

“So…”

“You can call me Y/N.”

“Alright, where are you from?”

“I lived in a small town a few miles from Atlanta.”

“And how did you land up here?”

“I don’t know, I went a long way looking for accommodation and a group of people, but I didn’t meet a human, only the living dead…”

It was quiet in the room, nobody knew what to say in the face of this brutal truth. Lori got up from the chair she was sitting on and walked slowly towards you.

“Come, let’s go to Rick, he’s probably waiting for you.”

You agreed and went out without saying a word. You could feel the warmth of the sunshine stroking your face. A long green field stretched out in front of you and had almost no limits. Under the big oak, on the right, some people were outside the tent, sitting around a faint fire and others on a camper. Unknown faces, but nowhere the shadow of Daryl. Why did you always think about him? Inside, while he was still there, you felt something that made a strange and unusual sensation at the beginning of your stomach. But suddenly your thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.

“Hey Y/N, come here, we have to talk to you.”

Rick and Hershel wanted to study a map on the porch of the house. You went to them, leaned against the pillar and watched the dense forest that rose around the house.

“I have to ask you a few questions…

How many Walkers have you killed?”

You noticed a grimace on Hershel’s face, almost annoyed from the question of his friend.

“I don’t remember, I’ve always tried to avoid them so as not to waste the few remaining powers.”

“How many people have you killed?”

“People? During my journey, I haven’t found a living soul! Nothing! Only these damned dead…”

“Do you belong to a group?”

You paused to think, or better said, to remember, and immediately the melancholy and the sadness took over your heart like a great burden.

“No…”

You painfully thought about the answer you had just given. And now? What would have happened? Would they send you away? Left again on the side of the road in the midst of desolation and death?

“Good Y/N, we talked a lot to Hershel and came to that conclusion, if you want, you can stay with us, it’s always convenient to have another member. I also saw that you have a bow, so I guess you know how to defend yourself safely.”

In fact, he was not wrong. This weapon belonged to your father, he had been a hunter, especially for some legends whose characters could bravely handle a bow. He had exhibited it in the living room next to the fireplace and he was proud of it. Very often you both had fun during the summer days, to make long duels with the bow. He had taught you some very special techniques and he kept telling you that one day he would give you his beloved bow. Unfortunately, this day came too early…

“Y/N, did you hear me?”

“Sorry, I was distracted.”

“You can stay, but you have to take on tasks! You have to help, take care of the watch, take care of the animals, in short, the necessary, have we got along?”

“Yes, you can count on me!”

You had become a member of the group, had already made acquaintance with some members, and soon you would have known the others. After a long time you were happy, now you could finally rely on someone… You thanked Hershel and Rick and went to the front door, ready to be useful, but stopped promptly. At the back of the field you saw a figure take a quick step towards the house. This kind of gait was immediately familiar to you, it was decided and powerful. So you went down the porch steps and approached the small pump dripping with cold water, wiping your face to look better… You saw him, it was Daryl. He wore a green camouflage shirt, sleeveless and slightly unbuttoned, which caught a glimpse of the bony clavicles. His pants were slightly dirty with blood and a knife dangled from the buckle. His hair, disheveled and slightly damp, fell on his face, emphasizing his pointed features. The ice-blue eyes, slightly open by the sun, looked like two small slits. His beard and mouth were stained with blood and gave him a wild look. For that he held five squirrels in one hand, and on his right shoulder he held the crossbow, the same one he had put on you a few days ago. He approached the camp and sat on the trunk of a felled tree, laid the squirrels on the ground, grabbed the knife, and began to skin the squirrels. You stopped to look at him. Maybe you ought to have thanked him, if he had not been, you would probably have been prey to it through the lamentations of the living dead. So you did not hesitate and approached him.

“Hey Daryl!”

He did not deign to look at you.

“What do you want?”

He looked up and looked threateningly at you, looked down again, grinned and continued with his work.

“Well, I just wanted to thank you for saving me.”

He did not answer, he was too busy shedding those damn squirrels. You were quiet for a few minutes, waiting for an answer. Silence… You only heard the blade of the knife penetrate the animal and how the intestines of the motionless, animal body were cut. You grabbed your shoulders and headed for the house. Why was he behaving like that? You didn’t do anything to him! You don’t deserve to be treated like a puppet. Suddenly you felt a presence behind you and a warm breath on your bare neck, a pleasant feeling pervaded your body and you closed your eyes briefly to enjoy this moment.

“You’re welcome.”

You stopped abruptly and Daryl surpassed you after he turned to look into your eyes and toward the house. You were confused, you really couldn’t understand his behavior. Usually, it was enough for you to exchange a conversation in order to frame a person and thus continue to attend or avoid it. But not with him. You could not find an explanation for his behavior. So you just shrugged and moved on.

However, you didn’t notice that behind the big oak two threatening eyes had seen the whole scene…


	3. Chapter 3

It had been more than a week since your arrival and you were already in line with the new group. You had met the other people like T-Dog, Carol, Andrea and Shane. You shuddered to pronounce his name. Shane… You didn’t like how he looked at you, very often he let his terrible eyes fall on your body and put together a kind of perverse fantasies in his head. You avoided getting near to him and most of all being close to him. He had tried to come closer than once, but you always ignored it. In the last few days you had spotted him often to spy on you, you collected some wood before, while later you washed laundry with Lori and Carol or while you happily talked with Glenn and T-Dog about many things. Otherwise things were going well. Rick decided to trust Daryl as support for the hunt. You two woke up very early and in the late afternoon you both returned to the camp with killed animals. Like every morning you waited outside the tent for him otherwise no one went to the meadow in the direction of the forest. There was a great harmony between you, although there was usually no dialogue between you. You both preferred to listen to the sounds of the forest; the chirping of the birds that came from the high treetops, the rustling of the wind, the dry sound of the leaves shattering under their shoes, the sound of water breaking on the mossy rocks. You loved the forest as much as Daryl did… When you were a kid, you often went to your grandparents, who lived in a small house by a small forest. Your grandfather enjoyed teaching you some tricks on how to hunt animals, listen to nature and how to survive in the wild. Once, playing hide and seek with your brother, you lost myself under the tall trees and after an afternoon you spent looking for the way back, you managed to return home and hug your crying mother. Daryl was not human, he was more like a wild animal… As soon as he caught a prey, he silently hid behind a bush or behind a lichen-covered trunk, waiting and looking closely at the animal, at every move to load the crossbow at the right moment and after a brief moment, the arrow shoot. He lived in complete harmony with the forest, like some bacteria that manage to establish a relationship of complete well-being and mutual exchange with the host organism. Who knows if the epidemic had not broken out, how Daryl would have lived otherwise…

“Hey, sunshine, did you fall asleep?”

“Shit, stop calling me that!”

“Okay… parasite.”

What an idiot, he always made fun of you. You couldn’t stand him if he was like that. But you kind of liked it… Those were the only words he spoke to you all day. Daryl did not really talk to anyone, not even to the other members of the group. He was very introverted and often grumpy, he ate alone and spent his days in the forest. The only person he exchanged a few words with was Carol. Lori had told you everything about her. At the beginning of the epidemic she came with her daughter Sophia and her alcoholic husband into the group. He often enjoyed beating her and looked at the girl with mischievous eyes. After the attack on the camp and the loss of her husband, Carol remained alone with her daughter, but soon she also lost Sophia. Daryl had made himself available from the outset to seek out Sophia, to risk his life for her, but it was already too late, since she had been bitten by a Walker. It was difficult for both of them to recover from the incident, but they looked to the future and strengthened each other.

“Hey sunshine, move, we have to go.”

“Okay I got it.”

You followed him absent-mindedly, watching out for the landscape you were immersed in, perhaps looking for a nice prey for dinner… Suddenly Daryl stopped and turned to you, you went on without realizing it and slammed against him with full force. You felt his heart pounding, the muscles under the thin shirt pulled together; his chest gave off an animal heat that mingled with its wild smell. You stood there leaning against each other, listening to the deep breaths and noises of your hearts that had gone mad by this feeble physical contact. What happened to you? You felt how your body contracted inwardly through emotion and at the same time through fear.

“Daryl…”, you whispered.

“We should go…”

You looked up visibly embarrassed and plunged into the icy, bright and crystal blue of his eyes. He looked back and raised his hand close to your face, only a few inches away from your skin. Why? How so? What did that mean? But soon he turned away and withdrew his hand.

“Let us go.”

You arrived at the camp when the sun had already set without saying a word. Carl greeted you happily as he lay in his mother’s arms. Andrea was busy cleaning her gun, which she never parted with. Glenn and T-Dog talked to Lori and Carol at the fire. Daryl headed for the house to bring the animal you hunted in the late morning into the kitchen. You decided to sit by the fire and listen to the others. Only then did you notice Shane sitting down to sharpen his knife. He began to look at you mischievously, without batting an eyelash. You tried not to look back and turned to the house, hoping to see Daryl appear at any moment. Shortly thereafter, the man stood up and the darkness swallowed him.

“Y/N, could you go and get my shotgun?”

Your thoughts were interrupted by Glenn’s voice as he sat on an old suitcase. You looked at him and after a short smile you agreed with a nod.

“I forgot it near the henhouse.”

You shuddered. Shane had just left and you had no idea where he was… You took your bow and got up, walked slowly, trying not to make a noise and not to pay attention to yourself. You just had to take the shotgun and run to the camp as fast as possible. When you arrived at the chicken coop you did not see a gun. Your attention was attracted by the horses, not far from the chicken coop, by Hershel, who cared for the animals with so much love and devotion. You were so trapped that you didn’t notice the dark shape behind you.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

You gasped and turned around in horror. It was Shane. Crap…

“What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing.”

The man touched his lips with two fingers as he looked you from head to toe, scrutinizing every inch of your body. You felt disgusted and turned to avoid his gaze. You took a deep breath to calm down, but you couldn’t. A terrible thought went through your mind, but you put it out immediately. He would not do it. He would not even be able to afford such a thing. At least you hope so. You forced yourself and you turned with the intention of going back to the others and leaving that part of the farm, but Shane stood in your way. You felt his breath on your skin a few inches away from your face.

“I’ve been watching you for a few days and you’re pretty, I would not mind having anything with you.”

You took a step back, moved away from him and pulled your bow. He looked at you in amusement.

“Do you think you scare me, you little bitch?”

You didn’t say a word and started to think. So you set the bow aside and looked attentively at the situation. You leaned forward to him, stroked your thigh sensually and put a hand on his chest.

“I see that you are interested in my proposal…”

You closed your eyes, ran your hand over his chest and stood on your toes to better reach his lips. He looked you in the eye and you opened them again. He tried to say something, but you blocked his mouth with a finger.

“Shane, your sneaky little games, won’t work with me.”

He stared at you surprised at your statement and you took the opportunity to step into his genitals. He screamed in pain and you ran away as fast as possible. You started screaming in the hope that someone from the camp would hear you, but it was too far away and you barely saw the small flame of the fire. You wouldn’t have reached it on time. So you changed roads and headed in the direction of the forest. You were sure he would never follow you. And you were wrong… One of the things your grandfather told you was never to sneak into the woods in the middle of the night. But you had no other escape routes. You looked around disoriented and anxious and searched for a hiding place. You decided to climb a tree, but as soon as you wanted to climb, one hand reached for your pants. You looked down in the hope that it was a harmless Walker. But you were wrong again… It was Shane, angry at the humiliation he had just received. He threw you violently on the floor and threw your bow furthest away from you. You tried to react, but Shane grabbed your wrists and pressed them over your head.

“You just did that to make fun of me, you damn whore!”

He took his knife and put it under your shirt and jerked it away. He took two pieces of cloth to tie your wrists and to stuff your mouth. Then he put his dirty hand under your bra and began to aggressively press your breasts.

“What’s wrong, are you crying Y/N?”

You felt like a prey to be killed. Until that moment, You’ve always felt like a predator in this huge forest, but now everything was different. You died inside. He took off your pants and unbuttoned his jeans quickly.

“Don’t cry, keep the tears for later!”

You felt an unbearable pain that grew more and more between your legs, his skin was rough, his hand was cold as he rubbed your breasts and his stinking breath greased on your neck. You struggled, trying to suppress your tears, but to no avail. At one point you didn’t feel any physical pain anymore, but you felt a mental wound getting bigger and bigger. You felt humiliated and brutally injured. You did not want to see this horrible show, so you closed your eyes and tried to imagine something beautiful and positive. You began to think of Daryl and the physical contact you had with him a few hours ago, so naive and so embarrassed, yet so terribly beautiful… Tears ran down your face and Shane found it almost amusing as he uttered horrible and shameful sentences. The image of Daryl had disappeared in your head as your tormentor made a deafening scream. You opened your eyes and hoped for a miracle. And couldn’t believe it. The sounds had attracted a Walker in the area. The Walker began to devour Shane, who screamed desperately and asked you to help him. You got up with difficulty and pain, bent down to pick up the scraps of your clothes, and ran to your bow. As you lowered yourself, you noticed that the inside of your thigh was constantly running down with blood and you froze. You couldn’t move because of the shock and pain. Slowly you turned to see if the Walker had left. You were face to face with him. You would have died there, on this damn evening. No, you were already dead… A few moments earlier, a man had made your life hell and brutally injured you. Now you were just a body of matter. That’s how you felt. Like a Walker. You closed your eyes and waited for your end. You did not know if a bite-related pain could be compared to what you felt inside. Your soul screamed in despair and shame, but no one could hear it. You heard a hiss in your ear and a dull noise like a weighted body on the floor. You slowly opened your eyes and found the Walker on the floor. You collapsed in the leaves, smeared with your own blood mingling with the strayed Walker. Two warm arms clasped your waist gently and caressed your hips, hurt by the sharp stones on which Shane had thrown you a few moments ago.

“What the hell happened?”

You immediately recognized this warm, deep and so damn beautiful voice. Daryl had saved you. You could not speak because of the tears that didn’t stop running down your face and raised your hand to point to Shane’s defenseless body. Daryl’s eyes widened and he looked at your body, covered with scratches, wounds and blood, searching for a damnable response to the bad feeling that was pervading his mind.

“Damn bastard!”

Anger seized his masculine face and he ran to the body of the tormentor, who had now turned into a horrible Walker. He began to smash his skull with a stone and process it into porridge. You noticed a tear running down his face. After wiping his hands on his pants, he unbuttoned his shirt, which was soaked with Shane’s blood. He came to you sweaty and helped you very gently so you could get up again. He gave you a hand to get up, but the pain was terribly strong and you collapsed again. Daryl looked at you, sat down next to you, wiped his eyes and took you in his arms.You leaned your head against his bare chest and felt his heart thump with rage. You closed your eyes and finally felt protected again.

And for the second time, your angel had saved you…


	4. Chapter 4

“Sorry… It’s all my fault…”

Those were Daryl’s last words as he held you in his arms. You just remember a few flashes that damn night. And Daryl, panting with you in his arms, running through the dense vegetation. A group of hungry biter. A desolate and abandoned house. And then the emptiness. The darkness. A few days later, after the tragic event, you woke up with a shock, a fierce nightmare still alive a few days earlier. Shane… You still couldn’t understand what had happened to you. The only positive thing is that the damned bastard was dead. He would never look at you like that again. Your body still bore the signs of the injuries you suffered. Bruises and scratches, everywhere. You could not speak. You opened your mouth, but your breath was stifled by tears that never stopped running down and moistening your still-bare and tortured legs with its wetness. You looked for something you could wear, but there was nothing. At least in the first room there was nothing to wear… But an old mattress on which Daryl had slept, a wooden table and a large window from which the sun lit up and thus the whole room. You tried to get up, but your legs could not hold your weight. You felt weak and tired, without any strength. You suddenly collapsed on the mattress. Daryl jerked briefly. He was there sleeping peacefully next to you. The blanket slightly covered his stomach, his chest was free, lifting steadily under his steady breathing. His arms were over his head and he was slightly inclined. His face had a relaxed and very calm expression… You sat closer to him, crossed your legs and started watching him closely. Shortly thereafter, you slowly approached his face as he had done a few days ago. You leaned your hand gently on his cheek and felt his beard brush against your hand. Immediately, Daryl was alarmed, grabbed you hard and threw himself over you. Your body reacted as well. You pushed him away and slipped away from him, then crouched in a corner. You hid your face in your arms on my knees so he would not see you crying. You shiver… What happened to you?

“Sorry Y/N, I didn’t want to…”

You raised your head and looked at him. He knelt with one hand in his hair and visibly worried face on the mattress. He looked at you, but you could not answer his gaze. You didn’t want that. You felt terrible. You felt ashamed…

“Don’t look at me…”, you whispered, suppressing your voice under your arms.

“Why? You are the best in this damn world…”

You opened your eyes incredulously after this sentence… Daryl kept looking at you. He had never said such a sentence to you before. He came up to you on all fours, and when he was close enough, he took your arms and lifted them behind his neck. He grabbed your body, lifted you gently and let you sit on his thighs. You couldn’t move, you didn’t know what to do. You were scared but at the same time you were attracted to him. Your body rejected it, but something that came from the deepest inside resisted and let itself be touched by these so experienced and powerful but fine hands. He started to touch your hair as you leaned your head against his shoulder and you enjoyed it as his fingers moved through it. He stroked your pale face with his thumb and let your head tilt. You started to get carried away by his movements, but there was still a certain amount of dislike in you. A warm and bitter tear of yours fell on his hand, but Daryl was immediately ready to dry the next, gently caressing the corners of your eyes.

“I could watch you for hours…”, he whispered in your ear. A shiver ran through your back and made you utter a slight moan. Every minute you clung to him, you felt your body give in to the temptation to let you live with him. How was it possible? He approached your face, put his cheek against it, you were blushing instantly, closing your eyes and beginning to listen to your breath more and more. Daryl got up slightly and took you in his arms. You hugged him tightly, almost unable to breathe, and crossed your legs behind his back. You began to feel a sense of protection and trust again, something you had never felt before. Daryl’s arms were so damn strong, but with his tender touch right now, he started to drive you crazy with them. You put your cold nose on his soft, warm skin and you could smell his wild and captivating smell. He again seemed like an angel to you. Daryl sat down on the mattress and let you stretch out on the green blanket. He lay down next to you and pressed you to his chest, near his throbbing heart. He touched your lips with his finger and kissed your forehead as he stroked your hair with one of his hands.

“Excuse me…”, he said in a whisper. You raised your head with a perplexed face. You couldn’t understand the meaning of these excuses.

“It was all my fault, I wasn’t allowed to leave you alone…”

“Please don’t say another word…”

You put your arms around him and closed your eyes, catching the beatings of his heart and his deep breath. You both stayed there. And for a very long time… In this house in the middle of the forest, far away from everything and everyone. You two and your warm bodies, full of love, passion and longing.

Alone between death, but together in life.


	5. Chapter 5

Several days have passed since this evening and nothing has happened between you and Daryl. You were two completely strangers again. What happened? You didn’t know… One morning you woke up completely alone. You lay on the cold, hard and empty mattress. You slowly got up and went to the window with your weak body. You saw Daryl load a van parked between two trees. As if he knew you were watching, he turned and fixed his eyes on the big window. You walked a little embarrassed from the window and knelt down next to a table. You took your bow and began to polish it with an old rag.

“Hey, did I wake you up?”

You jumped out of sudden fear and accidentally cut your hand at a sharp corner of the table.

“Y/N, all right, stay calm.”

Daryl noticed the cut and approached you slowly, supported by a backpack that hung on his shoulder.

“Let me see…”

He took out a small box resembling a first-aid kit and disinfected the wound with a few things in the box.

“It’s just a scratch, don’t worry, just leave it alone.”

“Shut up, please…”

He took out a bandage and wrapped it around my hand. Shortly after, he got up and handed you some clothes.

“Here, I found these.”

You looked at him for a few minutes and almost asked him to leave the room. You didn’t want to change clothes in front of him after he had seen you half naked in the woods and now more than ever you did not want to show your body so ruined.

“I’m waiting for you downstairs.”

The atmosphere was visibly tense. Nothing had happened between you since that evening. You wore a black shirt, a sweatshirt and slightly torn black jeans. Then you took you beloved bow and went downstairs. Right in front of the door Daryl leaned against the car and drummed his fingers against the window of the van, almost annoyed by the short wait.

“Come, let us return to the others.”

You agreed with your nodding head without saying a word and got into the car. It was still not clear to you why Daryl had not immediately taken you to the rest of the group instead of going into the forest in that uninhabited house.

“Why did we come here?”

He did not answer, kept looking at the road and at the edge of the forest, completely ignoring your presence. Did you say something wrong? By now you had gotten used to these unanswered questions that were buzzing around in your mind, it had almost become normal… It had been a week since you had last seen the rest of the group. You even missed it… The car raced along the long road, which was surrounded by endless dark trees. The forest brought Walkers on every meter of the world, and the noise of the old vehicle in which you drove attracted them. Daryl was impassive and barely cared for the dozens of Walkers that haunted the car. A few miles away, you began to see the fence at Hershel’s Farm, that faint old wooden fence… But your attention was immediately drawn to a Walker who walked through the ears of wheat on the grounds. How was it possible? The others would have noticed immediately and shot him in less than half a second. Near the gate Daryl suddenly stopped and put an arm over your chest so you would not vomit on the car’s dashboard, at the sight of you being offered there. You just looked at him stupidly and embarrassed.

“Shit…”

The gate was on the floor and the fence had given way on the sides, causing a huge gap. The Walkers had been successful in their intentions… They were forced to squeeze on the fence because of the insatiable hunger until it finally collapsed. You noticed an imposing fire rising from the barn and the house surrounded by countless Walkers. Daryl went as close as possible to the house and cursed on. There was not a single sign of life in the yard of the house. The cars were gone, like the rest of the group.

“We have to leave the farm Y/N.”

“What? And the others? Where are they? Where are we going now?”

“I dont know…”

“Why don’t you know that!”

“I don’t know Y/N, stop!”, he shouted.

You looked at him in surprise and at the same time scared. You crouched back on the seat and put your arms and chin on your knees. You didn’t talk to him all day. Not because you were so offended as he had answered, but because you were ashamed of your behavior. You had unfairly attacked him, it was not really his fault. If it had not been for him, you would probably have died now. The sky turned bright orange shortly after he found a shelter for you for the night. Daryl locked you in the car as he patrolled the area and eliminated the last harmless Walker. You could not stand him if he was like that. You knew how to defend yourself well. Damn Dixon… Every time you thought of him, your heart started beating fast and you were out of breath. Your body was simply attracted to this man. You were so different, the opposite of the other. Something indescribable began to build in you, a beautiful and at the same time frightening thing. You made a promise at the beginning of the epidemic. In other words, not being tied to anything, let alone people, so you do not have to suffer so bad again. But now it was different… You recovered from your thoughts when you heard a knock on the window. It was Daryl who suggested that you get out of the car. You opened the door and he went without looking at you to a small house near a freshwater creek. You took the backpacks and followed in silence… After arranging the tents you would sleep in, you filled them with blankets you found in a locker in the house. Daryl went into a tent and locked himself in without saying a word that was worth a look. Your heart felt like it was breaking into a thousand pieces. After all, it was you fault… You took a blanket and left the house without making any noise. Outside, you looked around for Walkers first, then climbed onto the low roof and sat down on a small balcony. You raised your eyes to the sky and watched the numerous stars… You felt the autumn breeze brush your cheeks and then scurry through the leaves of the trees. A sense of melancholy filled your heart and sadness seized you. You had only one fixed thought that kept coming back to your mind. Daryl, Daryl and again Daryl. You couldn’t think of anything else. You felt footsteps approaching you, but you did not really notice. A brick fell to the ground and broke into pieces. Your heart had done the same. You turned to see the scenery better. You couldn’t believe it. It was Daryl…

“Hey.”

You couldn’t say a word because of your emotions. Daryl came up and sat next to you.

“Are you still mad at me?”

“I’m sorry.”, you answered. He looked at you in surprise. “I’m the one who owes you an apology.”You didn’t answer. You clung to his arm and hugged him tightly between your breasts. Daryl slipped under the covers and lifted you to his side. You leaned your head against his chest and he began to stroke your thighs.

“I’m stupid…”, you whispered softly.

“Stop.”

“I was against you when, on the other hand, you risked your life to protect me, why did you do that, after all, I’m a nobody.”

“Now you are stupid.”

“Why, I’m just trying to understand…”

You jumped up and knelt at his side, looking puzzled.

“Daryl, why are you doing that?”

At that moment he turned around, grabbed your head in his hands and brought his face close to your face… Your lips were very close together, as if they were almost touching each other. You felt his painful breathing warm your mouth. ‘What are you waiting for? Just do it.’, you thought… So you stayed a few minutes and enjoyed the moment you both had been waiting for so long. You closed your eyes and a little later you felt his wet lips gently pressing against yours. You crossed your arms behind his strong neck, opened your legs and sat on his thighs. He put his warm hands under your shirt and began to stroke your hips. A groan escaped you, which was immediately silenced by another kiss, which was always overwhelming and full of passion. Your tongues began to touch carefully at first and then in daring motions. Your hands fell on his strong shoulders, but were immediately blocked. Daryl pulled them closer to the buttons on his top and urged you to take off his shirt. You took the first button with trembling hands, then the second, third and fourth and gained more and more confidence. He stood there, shirtless… Daryl’s mouth began to fall to the left on your slightly curved neck. He started kissing your neck and then nibbling on it. You felt your body start to stir and the chills ran fast over your back, unable to control the myriad impulses sent by your body and perfectly captured by Daryl, but which could satisfy them one after the other. His hands began to lift until you gently took off your own shirt. At that moment, you felt terribly ashamed. You covered your chest and felt shy, almost repugnant to your body. He arched his back and kissed you with his lips… You hugged him, clutching his body with your hands. Daryl ran his fingertips over your back to the bra lock. A simple and quick touch and he unbuttoned it, gently lowering the straps and dropping your bra. Immediately you were ashamed again. When you held the bra in your hands, Shane came back to you in your memories. Your eyes began to fill with tears that fell incessantly over your chest. Daryl noticed it and moved your hair behind your ears to look into your face. He held you in his arms and almost suffocated you through his muscles. Your hands were melting and you started to rest on his warm chest. He didn’t say a word. Your hearts spoke for themselves. After wrapping you in the blanket, he took you on his shoulders and climbed down from the roof like a nimble and quiet cat. He entered the house and then the tent, leaned against his blankets and held you tight.

“Daryl…”

“What?”

“Do not leave me…”

“That will not happen, never, I promise…”


	6. Chapter 6

It was late in the morning when you woke up in Daryl’s tent. To be honest, you had never slept so well since the epidemic broke out. You got dressed quickly so as not to catch a cold and went out of the tent. Like every morning, Daryl was not there. You couldn’t go back out to look for the others because you didn’t have the right equipment, so you decided to search for something useful in the house. You went up the wide wooden staircase. The corridor was quite light because of the large windows from which the light was filtered. You walked quietly, ignoring anything and looked at the pictures hanging on the walls. They portrayed an older couple, carefree and smiling, holding hands. It was probably their house where they wanted to spend the rest of their days without worries. You went into the different rooms and was amazed to find everything in perfect order. Strange… How was it possible that someone had not noticed this house? The clothes were carefully placed in the drawers, the beds not devastated, the ornaments slightly dusty as the numerous photos above the dresser. It seemed as if time had stopped. You looked around helplessly and then opened one of the many closets in the bedroom. You started to look at the different clothes and were looking for something you could have worn. Your eyes fell on a brand new black leather vest. You brought her out very carefully, almost with the fear of ruining her. On the back were two huge white wings, similar to those of an angel, sewn. Just like Daryl. He was your angel. Twice he saved your life. You held her up, smiling, laying her on the bed and leaving the room. There was a great deal of medicine and supplies in this house… After the epidemic it was very difficult to find a house that was not looted and not damaged by plunderers. This was the exception. A bad idea stuck in your mind, but vanished when you heard Daryl’s voice. Enthusiastic bass sounds, like a child waiting for someone who has not seen it for a long time.

“Where have you been Y/N? I started to worry!”

“Sorry, I decided to look around the house.”

“Okay…” He looked at you perplexed and crossed his arms.

“It’s full of supplies and medicines!”

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

“No, come with me and look at it!” You grabbed his wrist and dragged him into the kitchen. “Do you see?”

He was visibly surprised, even he couldn’t explain it all. You went to the pantry and peered inside, curious as to what it contained. You stood on tiptoe to see better, put one hand on the sink and spread the other. You were about to grab something when you felt two hands gripping your body and pulling you away. You turned amazed and almost annoyed.

“What are you-…” Your mouth was blocked by a kiss. You wouldn’t have expected this. Normally, Daryl waited for the night to open up and to talk, almost intent on hiding some things he would never have shown in daylight. But now it was different. Maybe he also felt something grow inside him, a strong feeling he had never felt before. Daryl picked you up and sat you on the table, still fiddling with your lips, nibbling and kissing. You noticed your emotions and the fear that someone might see you both. But why? You were finally alone… This intimate moment was soon interrupted when you heard the sound of a car approaching. You looked at Daryl, visibly worried and scared, he shut your mouth to keep you from talking. He was smart and he had thought to hide the car in the trees of the forest, almost as if he had expected it. The only problem were the curtains. You had left your things in the living room… Daryl took you with him, knocked you down and told you not to talk or breathe too loud. You heard the voices of two men coming from outside. They also knew this place. Everything was clear now. Where you spent the night, Daryl and you, was probably a warehouse. This also explains the numerous supplies and medicines.

“Fuck!”, Daryl cursed. What would you expect now? You heard the two strangers enter and they came closer and closer to the kitchen. Daryl got up and held the crossbow toward the door. You sat in complete silence behind the counter and were scared… Until then, Daryl had given you the strength to continue without ever looking back at the past.

“Calm down, take the crossbow away or-…”

Your heart has almost stopped beating because of this sentence.

“Merle?”

“Daryl?”

What? Who was Merle? You looked up and saw that Daryl reached out his hand to you. You squeezed her and got up.

“Damn, who is that pretty girl?”

You hid behind Daryl and didn’t want to be looked at. Not with those mischievous eyes.

“Hey little brother, are not you showing me this doll? I could make a deal…”

“Merle you bastard, shut the hell up!”

Little brother? What did he say? You just didn’t understand anything anymore. The man burst into laughter with enthusiasm. You moved your head to see who that damn Merle was. He was a big man, almost like Daryl. But your eyes fell on his hand. It had been replaced by a metal stub, from which projected a long, sharp blade.

“That’s Y/N.”, Daryl said in a firm, strong voice.

“My darling sweetheart, I am Merle Dixon, the better looking brother of this damn asshole.”

Did he joke? Was that really Daryl’s brother? You couldn’t say a word, so you agreed with a nod.

“Oh, that’s (M/N), I met him after his escape from Atlanta!”

Daryl shook hands with the man leaning against the fridge. He was very tall, maybe taller than Daryl. His body was well built so that his shirt was visibly tight and short. On his huge shoulder he had tattooed a Baphomet with two blood-red eyes. His face showed a scar on the right side of his forehead. He reached out and stared hard at you. Slowly you approached him with your hand, he grimly grabbed you and took you a few steps ahead. He kept you going, though you resisted him. And Daryl who noticed all this, pointed instantly his crossbow at him. The man looked at him for a few moments, with a look of no intimidation at all, leaning his eyes on you and releasing your hand. You approached Daryl, who welcomed you in his arms.

“Little brother, what are you doing here?”, Merle asked to break the tense atmosphere. Daryl told him everything that had happened before and after he had met you. He told him about Rick, Glenn, Carol and Sophia, Lori and T-Dog…

“Ah, that shitty bastard! I have another excellent report for him!”

As he said this sentence, Merle lifted the hook on his hand to the sky and shook it skillfully. You listened carefully to what they were saying, trying to understand some details that were not yet clear to you. You were embarrassed and constantly watched by the man who had almost broken your hand recently. You tried not to break away from Daryl for fear of being grabbed by (M/N) and taken away.

“…-and we escaped, we slept here tonight, and in a few days we’ll be back on the road to look for the others.”, Daryl concluded.

“We joined a group of people who started a small town called Woodbury, so you can come with us if you want.” Merle urged his brother to join them, but you read on Daryl’s face that he wasn’t completely convinced of the idea. You didn’t really understand what held him back. He looked down at you, looking for an answer and after a few moments he smiled at you. How nice it was when he smiled. He almost never did it.

“Fine, but first let’s pack the things together.”

(M/N) grinned, turned around and left us three alone. You shuddered… Merle helped Daryl sort out your things and load them in the green van. (M/N) sat in his car with the door wide open, listening to the music of a terrible CD. An idea came to my mind. You grabbed a backpack and ran upstairs to the bedroom. The vest was still there and were almost waiting for you. You carefully folded it and put it in the backpack.

“Y/N, we have to go!”, Daryl shouted. And you already heard how the engine of the car started.

“Where the hell were you?”

You put the backpack on the back seats, only smiled and wrapped your arms around his neck. He hugged you to his chest as he had done the night before.

“I’m glad.”, he whispered softly.

“Because you found your brother again?” You looked at him with slightly reddened cheeks.

“No.”

“And why then?”

“Because you’re here with me.”


	7. Chapter 7

You looked at the trees as Daryl drove along the half-deserted street in the van. The closer you approached Woodbury, the less you could see Walkers. Maybe Daryl and you could finally live happily after so many obstacles? A smile slipped from your face. You could already imagine yourself. A good housewife who paid attention to cleaning the house while you waited for your lovely ‘husband’ to return from his job. Nonsense… Daryl and Y/N? You were not like that, you couldn’t even imagine that. Never. Maybe the epidemic had something positive. Somehow… Or at least you tried to find something good in what had destroyed your life. If all that had not happened, you would never have known Daryl. You were one of those good girls, you studied, brought home good grades, you were the pure happiness of your parents, you had best friends and you spent the weekend in a quiet way with no parties. Many boys wanted something from you, but you did not always reject them, they were just so superficial. Everyone who saw you could think that you were a quiet girl who didn’t miss anything. But Daryl? You would have been much too different for your past life. But currently so damn matching in the present. Your thoughts faded as you felt Daryl’s hand on your thigh. Each of his movements brought your blood to a boil and melted you to it. You approached him and clung to his body.

“Daryl?”

“Yes?”

“Do you think we can still find the others?”, you whispered melancholy.

“Yes… They will surely have survived it.”, he smiled. It was late afternoon when Merle’s car slowed down near a big gate. You got up to see it better. From above, a man with Puerto Rican features emerged, pointing his rifle first to Merle’s car and then to yours. (M/N) leaned out of the window and waved his hand to open the gate. You took your bow for safety ever in your hands. Daryl parked the car a little further near the gate and told you to stay in the car. You obeyed. Merle approached a tall, thin man and patted his shoulder. He was probably the one who led the place. You looked around and were fascinated. It was a real city with houses and shops… You saw the children running behind an balloon, people walking carelessly across the sidewalks, watching the windows, on a street corner stood a man dressed all in white selling ice cream to a small family. You didn’t have the words. You jumped up when you heard a knock on the car window and saw a woman with a familiar face. Andrea… You got out of the car and almost hugged her with tears in your eyes. But then the rest of the group had to be here too! After Daryl realized you had gotten out of the car, he ran to see if you were okay.

“Andrea, what are you doing here?”

“Hey Daryl, as you can see, I’m fine!”

“And the others, are they here too, are they alright?”

Her face suddenly became serious. “No… I haven’t seen them since the farm, and you, where you disappeared, we’ve been out to look for you, but we haven’t found you anywhere, Shane has also disappeared.” You turned around to hear nothing. You didn’t want to hear that damn name anymore.

“I’ll explain, but what happened to the farm?”

“The Walkers managed to come in and attacked the house, and after that evening we split up, and in the woods, while escaping some Walkers, I met a woman, Michonne, who brought me here.”

“Andrea, I see you have already met our new guests!” You turned around, curious to know who owned that deep and cold voice.

“Governor, don’t worry, these are my old acquaintances.”

Did she really said Governor?

“I’m Philip Blake, but please call me Governor. Welcome to Woodbury.” He almost seemed nice, but his face had something that didn’t convince you.

“I’m Daryl, Brother of Merle Dixon, we’ll just stay here for a few days, just enough time to find the right gear to get back on the road.” As always, you stayed silent to avoid saying something stupid.

“And you sweetie, who are you?”, the man asked.

“I am Y/N.”

“The pleasure is entirely on my side.”, he smiled at you. Daryl took your hand. Almost as if he wanted to say that you’re his girl. At least you were hoping for that.

“Okay guys, if you want to follow me, I’ll show you where to spend the night.”

So you followed him with the bags on your shoulders, ignoring the hostile looks of other citizens, if they could have been so defined. You arrived in front of a yellow and white painted building with flowers on the windowsills. You noticed a feeling of vomiting and disgust… Who was the architect of this house? Did they want to hide the terror that lived and rampant outside the walls? To deny reality? That the cruel world still going on behind these walls?

“I hope you like it.”, the Governor said almost ironically. You silently entered the house and laid your backpacks on the floor. A room for two hearts. A bed, a table, two wardrobes, a dresser and a bathroom. It was very inviting despite its simplicity. Daryl looked at you and you looked back at him.

“Watch out… If I catch you Y/N, it’s over.”, Daryl grinned. You laughed and ran into the room, trying to fight back, but somewhere you wanted to be deliberately caught by him. You slowed, got hold of his hands and threw yourself on the bed. You looked at him silently from below and enjoyed these moments.

“Now it’s your turn!”, he laughed.

“Come on, stop it! Wait!” You suddenly got up and remembered the vest.

“What’s wrong?” Daryl sat down, scratching his head and looking visibly confused. You took the backpack and jumped on the bed to him.

“I want to show you something.” You took out the vest and held it in front of his eyes. Daryl took her in his hands and looked at her seriously. Didn’t he like it?

“Y/N, thanks… no one ever gave me a present.”What? Nobody? “Seriously? Are you kidding?”

“No.”

“But I don’t understand…”

“My father didn’t have a good family when he was a kid, and my father went from one prison to the next for drugs and numerous robberies, no one ever brought me to him, my mother was never home for work, and she was drunk every time she came back. Merle was the only one who took care of me and pulled me up with a smile and insolence. There was no time at the Dixon House to think about birthdays. I’ve never celebrated one. They barely remembered the day…” He looked at the vest, his eyes filled with tears. Your heart contracted at the sight and you tenderly stroked his face and kissed him. Suddenly you stopped and looked at Daryl in surprise. His face was filled with tears and hidden from shame.

“Sorry.”, he stifled. “I never cried, especially not in front of other people.” You didn’t say a word and preferred to stay calm.

“You give me those feelings… In such a short time you have managed to turn my life upside down…”He put his hands on your back and hugged me.

“Just don’t leave me.”, you whispered softly. He looked at you in surprise. “I don’t want to tell you that you will be by my side forever and ever, it wouldn’t make sense, especially if you die, Daryl…”He kept looking at you, curious as to what you meant to say. “But stay with me 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, until death separates us and memories connect us…” You put your arms around his chest and now you were standing there. Without saying anything.

“Y/N… I…” You looked at him and waited for him to finish this most obvious sentence.

“I…”

Then he kissed you. It was easier for him to put his lips on yours than to say those three words. But you did not care. You already knew he felt exactly the same. That was enough for you to know what he really wanted to say. The long journey had destroyed him and not five minutes later he collapsed in your arms and fell asleep. You spent more than an hour watching him and gently stroking his head and face, giving him all the affection he’d never received in his life. The night was dark and quiet in Woodbury, while some naïve man in his sick mind, his evil ideas for the time being brought to rest…


	8. Chapter 8

That morning, Daryl took part in an expedition. He accepted the offer to look for something useful before he would return to the street with you. You stayed in Woodbury with Andrea all day.

“Y/N, come on, I’ll introduce you to someone.”

The blond woman approached a dark-skinned girl. The long black braids that fell on her shoulders were held by a bandana who revealed her beautiful face. She wore a violet vest with a brown leather jacket that showed her curves.

“I’m Michonne.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Y/N.”

Andrea looked at her with a grateful smile that Michonne had brought her to safety.

“May I ask you something, Michonne?”, you whispered to her. “Sure, no problem.”, she answered. “Did you happen to meet a group of people recently?” Andrea glared at you and walked away, almost outraged by the question you had just asked her friend. The woman looked at you curiously, and after she had looked around, she approached your ear.

“Follow me.”

At a fast pace, she headed for a dark warehouse. You followed her and couldn’t understand what was going on. Michonne came in through a side door and pulled your arm.

“Hey what are you doing?”

“Do not say anything.”, she whispered threateningly. “I don’t understand… What’s going on here?”

“You know, Andrea doesn’t want to know anything about ‘your group’ anymore.”

“What?”

“Andrea said that after the fire at the farm no one was looking for her, taking care of her, not even Shane or anyone else from the group.” You covered your ears, you did not want to hear that name anymore. “Hey, is everything okay?”,Michonne asked, stroking your hand. “Yeah, don’t worry, but why did you bring me here to tell me all this?” The woman sat on the wet, dirty floor and put her forearms on her knees. “Here in Woodbury, it’s better not to talk about other groups of people.”

“Sorry, but I don’t quite understand…”

“The 'Governor’, because he wants to be called like that, is a murderer, a madman.”

You looked at her helplessly and tried to find out what she meant and actually wanted to tell you.

“You have no idea what he’s capable of, I’ve seen new people who have been wrongly accused, with deeds that have never been committed, and suddenly these innocent people are disappearing like ghosts.”

You were silent and listened to the mysterious woman.

“If I were you and your friend, I would stay away from this man, I saw him looking at you, both he and (M/N). Get out, as soon as possible.”Michonne suddenly got up and looked at you. “Anyway, I saw a group of people, they’re in a jail a few miles from here.”

“Thanks…”, you whispered. The woman looked at you in surprise and went quietly. You went out the door, still thinking about what she had just told you. You were so engrossed in your thoughts that you didn’t notice that you were being persecuted.

“Good morning, Y/N, how are you?”

You jumped up, spun around in fright, and put your hand to your bow.

“Did I scare you, I did not want that, I’m sorry.”

Damn Governor! What did he want?

“Don’t worry, did you search for me?”

“Oh yes, I wanted to talk to you.” You agreed with your head and sat down on a bench nearby. “Daryl told me you would like to go back to the street soon, right?”

“Yes.”

“Are you looking for someone special?” You immediately remembered Michonne’s words. “Not at the moment, no.” He looked at you in surprise and probably expected another answer. “Are you sure, my pretty Y/N?”

“Yes.”, you answered firmly and with a calm tone. “Well, if you need something, you know where to find me.” The man put his hand on your leg, slowly sliding his fingers higher and smiling. You stood up to prevent him from continuing to touch you and then he got up and left, turning and looking at you again, a heavy shudder running down your spine, and you started shaking when you suddenly heard the sound of cars. Daryl… With a fast pace you approached the gate, anxiously waiting for your protector, the man you had fallen in love with, and saw him come out of the car with a nimble jump, with his backpack on his shoulders and the crossbow in his hand, he raised his head and straightened his long-grown, unkempt hair, and you were blushing at the sight… He was so perfect… You ran to Daryl, hugged him and threw many anxious glances too Merle who got out of the car as well, followed by (M/N).

“Oh, look who’s awake, the beautiful princess!”,Merle exclaimed, grinning. (M/N) didn’t say anything, he was too focused on staring at your breasts. You turned to Daryl, who looked visibly angry. “What happened?”, you asked.

“Something.”, Daryl replied monotonously. He took your hand and dragged you away, under the eyes of (M/N), who was looking at you menacingly, as well as the astonished eyes of Daryl’s brother, Merle. “Daryl, what’s wrong? I’m worried!”

He went on without saying a word. He ran up the stairs where you had slept the night before and entered your room. “Daryl, what’s wrong!” He put his hands in his hair and looked at the floor. He was very sweaty and his eyes were full of anger. Shortly thereafter he sat on the bed and remained still and silent. You went into the bathroom and soaked a towel with cold water, went into the bedroom and sat down next to him. With one hand, you gently lifted his head and began dabbing the damp cloth over his face. “Now calm down and tell me what happened, Daryl.” He closed his eyes and was transported by your fine and light movements in a quiet atmosphere. “Sorry Y/N…”

“Daryl, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“I treated you badly when there was no reason… It’s just that-…” You were waiting for an answer. “I can not stand how that piece of crap looks at you, I’d like to beat the shit out of him.”

You were surprised by this statement. “I want to leave Woodbury.” You smiled slightly as he said this sentence. “Me too…”, you whispered. Daryl looked at you with his blue eyes like the sky after a summer storm.

“Let’s do this tonight, when everyone is sleeping, let’s escape.” You liked that word. At least in the context of Woodbury. 'Escape’. You were trapped in a false prison, in a world that demanded bygone times and people should adapt. Just as it was always demanded by the media. This place was brainwashed and it reminded you of a documentary you once saw. MKULTRA *. This place wasn’t for you. So you agreed and smiled. Daryl immediately grabbed your face and kissed you as only he could. You loved it. You loved him. There wasn’t one thing about him that you didn’t like. You loved that rugged and apathetic way he had every day, but night managed to glide gently and bring out his true essence. You loved his walk, his movements, his voice, his body, his face and his character. But the thing that drove you the most crazy was the tender side of him. He was a contradictory being. He killed Walkers and animals every damn day. He put his hands into the battered flesh with a monstrous brutality, but when they touched your body, they were as gentle as feathers. It was so awfully tricky for him when he touched you, it almost seemed like he was afraid to break your body in another second, and destroys you. Oh Dixon…

You could have spent hours enjoying those soft and warm lips. But your moment of intimacy was interrupted by a voice. Alarmed, you both leaned out of the window and clung to each other’s hands. You ran out of the house and behind the building where Michonne had brought you a few hours earlier. Daryl took his crossbow from his shoulder and looked at you. He reached out a hand so you could cling to him and you both went fast without ever looking back. Suddenly Merle came out of a bar.

“Hey little baby brother! Did you come to enjoy the show?”

Show? You looked at him almost scared and Daryl climbed up a box to see what was happening and helped you up there as well, opening your eyes in disbelief and terror. You saw a kind of big arena that was surrounded by a lot of people, a boy, a bit younger than you, kneeled on the floor, with a broken and bloody nose while he continued to beg for help, but his weak voice was obscured by people’s screams of anger.

The 'Governor’ suddenly came in your direction with a slow and impassive step, but stopped. What happened here? Merle came to you shortly afterwards and smelled terribly of alcohol. “Did you start already?”

“Merle, what the fucking hell is going on here?”,Daryl yelled at him.

“Just wait and you’ll see, Darylina!”, he grinned. (M/N) entered the arena holding three hungry Walkers tied to a metal chain. The boy tried to break free but his arms and legs were tied.

“Dear fellow citizens, tonight we are all here in the name of justice.” People started screaming for approval. “You know that I, your Governor, only want the best for you all, I have welcomed you to my city and offered you food, a home and shelter, I have allowed you all to create a new life, but on one condition: showing respect, but unfortunately this condition has been violated by one of you!”The man pointed to the poor boy…

“If we want to build a new society, we have to start from the foundations of democracy, from the rules! Today, these have been violated, he’s allowed himself to steal food and to eat food, and now he’s getting a just fine for what he has done.”The people shouted and cheered the man, approving of the flood of nonsense he was telling. The Governor raised his hands to heaven and greeted these cries, and the honor retreated from the hellish arena. (M/N) began to make the Walkers more hungry and aggressive with fresh meat. You shouted.

Daryl hugged you into his chest to hide this awful theater from your eyes. You heard the shattering cries of the boy pleading for help, the noises of the Walkers, and the evil cries of the people who hailed these torments. Merle laughed, almost amused by what was happening here. You went out of the bar, angry and shaken, and ran to your room. Daryl quickly joined you without saying a word. You walked faster and faster in the direction of your room without ever turning around and wiped the tears from your face with your sweatshirt sleeve. Was it that what Michonne meant?

“Daryl, we have to go!”, you shouted with your tear-covered face.

“Yeah.” He took your hand and ran to the yellow building with flowers on the windowsills. He opened the bedroom door and began to pack. He threw your clothes in the various rucksacks. Neither of you spoke a single word. You ran shortly afterwards in the parking lot as fast as possible and Daryl switched on a car while you unobserved opened the gate and then also got into the car. The car was racing at high speed along the dark street, but it was illuminated by the bright moon. Silence fell between you, just like the cold but quiet night…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * (MKULTRA* : Secret CIA research program on ways to control consciousness. At that time, the US secret service used questionable methods to experiment with mind control and the psychic influence of humans. The purpose was to find out how citizens could be conditioned not to divulge information that was enforced by known means; Develop interrogation methods to gain control; To develop memory improvement methods; and finding ways to prevent the agents from controlling the enemy. Among other things, the program included thousands of human experiments in which unsuspecting subjects, often randomly selected among hospital patients and inmates, were placed, without their knowledge, among highly potent hallucinogenic drugs such as LSD and mescaline. Numerous subjects carried the most serious physical and psychological damage, sometimes even death.)


	9. Chapter 9

You couldn’t sleep all night. So you sat on the bank of a small river and just wanted to see the water flowing. You had no fuel left, so you had to keep walking. In the meantime Daryl wandered through the forest in search of an animal for you to eat.

You were still shaken by what had happened just before. The words of Michonne and the cries of the boy hammered through your head again and again, without giving you even a little break. What would have happened if you had told the ‘Governor’ of your group? He would probably have killed them all, one after the other, just for supplies of food and medicines. Bastard…

Your eyes were lost in the stream of water and the dead leaves, which fell gently to the surface and let them flow away with past memories. “Nothing…”

You didn’t turn around at these words. You didn’t want to look Daryl in the eyes, you would have started crying.

“Y/N…”

You stood up, still as a stone as if frozen while Daryl sat down. You felt two hands resting on your shoulders and began to make wide and circular movements. So you tilted your head and let yourself be lulled by this massage, which eased all your pain. His hands went down and gripped your waist and finally you managed to sit on his strong, warm legs.

“Don’t worry, everything will be fine…”

Daryl whispered these words to give you confidence and hope that he himself had long lost…

“Tomorrow morning we will go back to the streets and we will look for the others, I promise.”

“Daryl… I have something to tell you…”

“Then tell me.”

You felt his hand stroking your hair and his breath warming your face.

“The woman who rescued Andrea, Michonne, told me that she had recently seen a group of people…”

“Are you kidding?”

“No… She saw them in a jail a few miles from Woodbury.”

Daryl continued to look at you.

“Please, don’t look at me…”, you whispered.

“You know that I can’t do that…”

You were more and more surprised by these statements. Daryl hugged you and ran his lips over the side of your neck. You closed your eyes, listening to the nature, listening to the sounds of Daryl and his calm and deep tone.

“Y/N…”

“Yes?”, you whispered.

“Please wait here for me…”

You got up and looked at him, trying to understand what he was up to. He got up slowly, wiped his dirty pants, took his crossbow and dived into the dense undergrowth. Now you stood there, alone by the river, curious and waiting. So you sat down again. After a few minutes, you saw him emerge with something in his hand. You suddenly got up and were worried about what would happen. “Here.” Daryl had three flowers in his hand… You accepted them, blushed immediately and didn’t say a word.

“Do you see these flowers? Cherokee Roses, I know a derivation from an old legend.”

“Do you want to tell me about it?”

You approached him and took his hand. He smiled at you.

“When the American soldiers deported the native americans to relocate them to the southeastern United States, they went a long way, which is called the 'trail of tears’ because so many tears were shed by the mothers for their children, many died due to hunger and illness along the way.”

Daryl hugged you tight and turned toward the small river.

“The elders of the tribe prayed to Heaven to send a sign of strength and courage to the mothers torn with pain, and the next day, along the way, these beautiful roses appeared in the places where the tears of the mothers had fallen.” Now you understand it… Daryl had given you these roses to give you strength and courage to look forward and not back to the past.

“They are beautiful, thank you Daryl…”

“Just like you.”, came a soft whisper from his lips. You stood on your toes and leaned your cold lips on his. Suddenly, two dazzling lights illuminated your figures. Daryl lowered himself alarmed and tugged at your top. You heard two doors pop and the leaves crunched under the soles of the people’s shoes. Daryl suddenly held his hand over your mouth and dragged you kinda harsh behind a dense bush.

“Be quiet, Y/N, stay calm.” You opened your eyes again. You saw the Governor approaching your car and looking for something. Shit…

“Where the hell are you!”, he yelled angrily.

Daryl kept holding your mouth and almost stopped you from breathing as he squeezed you with his other hand. You watched the 'Governor’ as he threw your backpacks and other things around. A little later, he cursed like a beast and drove away. What did he want from you?

“He’s gone.”, Daryl whispered. He gently removed his hand from your mouth and wanted to answer, but promptly stopped when you heard the trigger of a gun.

“Good, good, good, look at who we found here!”You recognized this hard and icy voice. (M/N). Damn it! Daryl whirled around and immediately aimed his crossbow at him.

“I wouldn’t do it, I’d rather take that thing down.”But Daryl didn’t give up. “I said, take this thing down!”, (M/N) shouted, slowly emphasizing the words.

“Daryl, please, listen to him…”, you whispered. After a while, he lowered his crossbow and stood like a shield in front of you. (M/N) suddenly struck him with full force and didn’t stop.

“What are you doing?”, you shouted in horror.

“Y/N, don’t worry about him.” You turned around. Before you was a tall and thin figure. The Governor. You were shocked and didn’t know, what you should do. You looked into the pitch-dark forest and met a pair of gleaming but familiar eyes. Who was this person watching the whole scene without intervening?

“Help us!”, you shouted. The 'Governor’ grabbed your hair and threw you to the ground with brutal force, banging your head on a rock. The sight began to darken as you saw your blood glide over the leaves.

“Shut the hell up or I’ll kill you and your damn friend!”

Daryl fought like a wild animal in a cage that was just too small for him.

“Leave her alone, take me, not her!” You could hear Daryl’s tantrums behind you… The 'Governor’ approached Daryl and started brutally beating him and kicking him hard. And (M/N) approached you slowly. He grabbed your hands and tied them tight with a rope. You could feel the meat being crushed by that coarse, thick rope. Shortly afterwards, he picked you up and headed to the van.

“Don’t touch her, you ugly son of a bitch!”, shouted Daryl under the brutal beatings of the 'Governor’. You couldn’t react, you felt increasingly weak and tired.

“Now you are mine, beautiful woman, I will not let you escape so easily.”, said (M/N). You noticed his stinking breath that smelled strongly of alcohol.

“No… You don’t have to… I… No…”, you whispered exhausted. He laughed as he headed to the car. He threw you in and with your tired eyes you saw Daryl being thrown beside you. You lay on a dirty, blood-stained blanket when you looked at your angel with a battered face, a broken nose, and a deep cut above his left eyebrow. With difficulty you approached him and put you face to his face. Your tears soaked the blanket and his slightly torn shirt.

“Y/N…”, he whispered, so as not to be heard by your tormentors.

“Yes…” A tear fell from his cheek and penetrated a wound just below the cheekbone. Nevertheless, he smiled at you.

“I… I…”

“Daryl?”

“You… I… love you…”

You heart broke. You couldn’t see Daryl like that. His eyes screamed 'don’t leave me’… It felt like your heart stopped beating.

“I… love you too…”, you whispered in tears. Shortly thereafter, your vision blurred, which put you in a long and deep sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

“Hey princess, wake up. Can you hear me?” You opened your eyes. Everything hurts. Your head ached and your legs couldn’t hold the weight of your body, but you still managed to get up. You felt your arms go up tremendously. What happened? Where were you? “Daryl?”

“He’s taking a nap!” You raised your head slightly and looked around, searching for your angel… He lay there, on the floor, with his hands tied to a large metal tube. His face was completely stained with blood with numerous cuts and bruises over his pretty face. “What did you do to him?”, you screamed desperately. “He didn’t want to talk.”

“What?”, you yelled again. You couldn’t understand who you had before you, the darkness masked his face. And suddenly you got a slap. “Shut up.” You kicked and tried to meet the man, but he left. He stopped and looked at you again while you still couldn’t see who he was. “What do you want from us?” He didn’t answer. “Answer me you ugly asshole!”, you screamed in anger. “Keep your energy for later, my darling.” He walked slowly away and the darkness swallowed him up. You only heard a creaking door open and this soon closed again. You looked around and hoped for something that could help you and Daryl… But you couldn’t have reached anything, after all you were tied with your arms over your head, on a cold, rusty pipe. You couldn’t even see the end from the room because of the little light coming in through a broken window behind you. You only saw a table with some objects too far away to identify them. Your eyes fell on Daryl again. “Hey…”, you whispered. “Daryl, please, wake up…” Your clear eyes began to fill with tears. You lowered your head, you were morally and physically destroyed and on the floor lay a big puddle of blood… “Y/N.” You heard a long breath not far away from you. “Daryl, are you alright?”

“Yes… don’t worry.”

“How can I not worry, you’ve been beaten up!”

“It takes more to destroy Daryl Dixon.”, he stood up, grinning slightly. As always, this man could make you smile. Although death was waiting for you behind the door, he was able to defuse the situation. “Y/N…?”

“Yes?”, you answered softly. “Are you okay? They didn’t touch you, did they?”, he asked. You looked at him. One of his eyes was slightly closed because of a stroke. The drops of sweat bathed his hair and the blood dripped on his shirt. “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”, you smiled a little, a tear falling over your cheek and moistening your lips. You lowered your head so that Daryl couldn’t see that you were crying. “How I would like to touch those tears painted lips.” You looked up and wondered at the words that shook your heart at the same time. “Daryl…” But suddenly you heard the door open and heavy footsteps entered the room. (M/N). He came up to you and ran his fingers over your left cheek. “No. Please…” Your voice wavered as you felt the fear rise more and more in you. He kept looking you in the eyes, though you looked away and turned your head. His hand grabbed your chin and he held your face just a few inches from his. “What Y/N, what’s wrong with you?”

“Take your hands off her, you fucking asshole!”,Daryl screamed angrily. (M/N) looked you in the eye first and then on your lips, studying every single rosy outline. He released his grip and with a quick step approached Daryl, kicking him in the stomach and spat at him. Daryl bent down in pain and laid his head on the dirty and cold floor. (M/N) turned in your direction and came back to you. You closed your eyes so as not to cross his. “Are you afraid of me, you lovely little doll?” You didn’t answer, a tear fell on your cheekbones, but you didn’t feel it anymore because of the dry, rough and calloused fingers of this beast, which wiped away your tear. “I don’t want to hurt you…”,he whispered to you. “You’ve already been doing that…”, you said monotonously. The tears began to tumble without stopping. “And how?”, you heard his voice sounding almost ironic. You did not answer, you just turned back to Daryl. He turned and watched him. (M/N) looked at you, bit his lip and agreed with his head, then turned away from you again. The darkness swallowed him too as he moved away. He hit the door hard again and let you jump up. “Sorry.”, Daryl said. You looked at him angrily. “It’s all my fault Y/N.”

“Nobody blames you, Daryl…”

“If I could have made our things disappear, they wouldn’t have found us…”, he replied sadly.

“They would have found us sooner or later, it was their goal from the start.”, you said desperately. Daryl got up and leaned his head against the pole. What would happen to you? Nobody could save you. You were alone - But together. “Excuse me instead…”, you said softly. “And why?”

“I didn’t keep the Cherokee Roses you gave me.”He burst out laughing and you looked at him in surprise. “Don’t worry, I’ve left your vest in the van, so when we get out of here we’ll take back what’s ours, okay?” How could he be so sure? You were never optimistic, in fact your eyes only looked black after the epidemic. Nothing and no one could convince you. You didn’t live anymore, you just existed. But Daryl was the only one who has succeeded so far to convince you otherwise. Suddenly the door opened again. You were shocked. This time, two people had stepped in, and it was clear that through the irregular steps alone, you could see who would be right in front of you. “How are you, Y/N?” You didn’t answer because it was undoubtedly the voice of the ‘Governor’. “I just want to know one thing from you both, or better only from you, since your little friend will not tell me. If you answer me, I will let you two go.” (M/N) approached Daryl, grabbed his head, and flung him violently against the pipe. “Leave him the fuck alone!”, you yelled in rage. “No reason to scream…” You looked at him in confusion, not knowing what to do. “When you arrived at Woodbury, your friend told me that you would leave immediately to find your friends… But you, you told me that you have no group… Or am I wrong?” You looked at him more and more anxiously and nervously. “Of course, at this point, I ask myself, which one of you is right? So, my pretty Y/N, I’ll ask you the same question again: are you part of a group, or rather, where are your friends?” Immediately the words of Michonne came back to you. They would have killed them all, Lori, Rick, Carol, T-Dog, Hershel, Maggie, Carl, Glenn… Just everyone. “We are alone.”, you said finally. The 'Governor’ looked at you with a mischievous smile on his lips. “Well, then I’ll be forced to punish one of you because I don’t know whom to believe.” He approached Daryl, looked at him and then turned to you. “Darling, are you more interested in your or his life?”, he asked you ironically. What should you answer? You thought carefully. And came to an answer. “My life!”

“What?”, Daryl shouted shaking. He looked at you in surprise and his eyes filled with tears. “Did you ever cheat on me?”, he asked bitterly. You just looked at him apathetically. “No.”

“Oh poor Daryl… I’m sorry for you… your girlfriend just took you by the ass.” He looked down, you saw him cry and how the tears dripped on his pants. “Bastard…”, he mumbled between his teeth. “Well, then I’ll leave this to (M/N) here, he’ll know what to do, don’t worry, because it’s going to be dedicated to your friend as well.” He approached Daryl and started beating him again. He then curled up on the floor, trying to ward off the blows that hit his hips and stomach. You shouted. Not because of the physical wounds, but because of the pain you had caused him. His heart was imploding… “Shut the hell up and enjoy the show!”,(M/N) burst out laughing and you were supposed to leave the room. But couldn’t… It was so bad. So terrible… The rapture, the moments alone, the confession and the death, both physically and morally… (M/N) smiled at you and took the knife from the table attached to the front wall. He enjoyed putting it between his fingers, approached you and took your face in his hand. “How long have I been waiting for this moment…”,he whispered. You didn’t want to die. No, it was the last thing in the world you wanted. You wanted to keep your life, so you had to fight. Not only for you, but also for Daryl. (M/N) took the knife and quickly cut your top off your body. You saw him throb in front of you and were scared. Daryl watched the scene, but did not dare to say a word. You had broken his heart, in front of (M/N)’s eyes and for his pleasure. The man went back to you, opened your jeans and let them sink slightly. All the terrible moments you had experienced with Shane in the woods came back to you. Tears flowed over your face like a waterfall… They fell on your breasts, supported by the bra, and slid down between them. You were there, now half naked. You felt a kind of cold sting on your skin as (M/N)’s eyes analyzed your tender flesh. Your heart felt like it would stop beating. The moment the man tried to touch you, you suddenly noticed the door opening and didn’t understand what happened. (M/N) suddenly leaned forward and screamed in pain. His white T-shirt started to blush, right under his chest. What happened here? In the shadow, you saw two glowing eyes. They were the same as in the woods. Michonne! She ran to Daryl and released him from the ropes that held him. He got up and sat down again. His arms rested on his knees. Daryl didn’t say a word. Shortly after, she came up to you and cut the rope, which also tied you up. You fell to the ground, exhausted and aching. “Y/N, are you alright?”

“Yes, don’t worry about me…”

“Wait for me, I’m looking for the Governor.”Michonne handed you your bow. You looked at her stunned, but happy. She went and you stayed there. You. Daryl. And (M/N)… Daryl got up without looking at you. “Daryl…”

“Shut the fuck up!”, he yelled wildly. “I can explain it to you…” You reached for his chest. “I shit on your supposed, damned explanations! You made fun of me all the time!” He grabbed your wrist and pushed you away. Your eyes looked at him bitterly and at the same time disappointed. As you two discussed it, you didn’t realize (M/N) was still alive. He reached for the knife with which he had cut your top, and approached Daryl angrily to kill him. You screamed and threw yourself in front of him. It was getting dark and you fell to the ground. A stinging pain started to get heavier on your left side. Daryl took your bow, reloaded, attacked (M/N) and brutally finished it, then dropped the weapon and ran to you. He lifted your head and laid it gently on his legs. Daryl looked at your stomach and opened his eyes in fright. A deep wound appeared and there was too much blood… So he quickly grabbed your top and started pressing on the wound with all the strength his body could bring to stop the bleeding. “Why did you do that, you said you didn’t really care about me!”, he said angrily. You smiled. “You’re an idiot, haven’t you understood that yet?”He looked at you shocked as his blue eyes filled with tears. “I told the 'Governor’ that my life is more important to me because I knew he would kill me first, just as he did with the boy at Woodbury.” Daryl didn’t answer, but you felt his tears fall on your face. “He would have killed me while you escaped, or at least I would have delayed your death…”

“Are you telling me that you sacrificed yourself for me?”, he shouted in pain. “If he had killed you, I would have died immediately, you are my life Daryl…” Your face was destroyed by a grimace of pain. You looked so piteous… Daryl picked you up and kissed you gently. Your eyes filled with tears under this superhuman tenderness of him. “Y/N, I’m so sorry.”, whispered Daryl as he held you in his arms. “Don’t worry, I’m happy…” He looked at you shocked again. “Now I can go in peace. And knowing that you will live on, it fills my heart with joy.” You smiled at him again. “Don’t say that jokingly, you have to stay, you can’t fucking leave me!”

“I will not leave you, I will always live in your thoughts, but especially in your heart…”

“Y/N. Don’t leave me…” He held you tightly against his chest. His bitter tears mingled with your sweet tears. And the blood didn’t stop flowing, polluting Daryl’s hands, which kept squeezing the wound. “I love you Dixon.” You saw his eyes screaming at you to stay. With him. By his side. Forever. But your eyelids narrowed. In your sweet sleep, you would continue to wait for him. Daryl Dixon.


	11. Chapter 11

You never imagined your death. Before the epidemic, you had hoped to start a family, and when life would end, you would have spent the remaining time with your husband and your kids. But then everything has changed. The thought of death accompanied you at every moment of life. You had to survive. But for what? For whom? You were alone. Every human being that was so important to you is dead. Your father, your mother, your brother and your grandparents. Your friends, the neighbors and even the postman… You had no one left to entrust your life to. The thought of just letting yourself go overwhelmed you. Why did you still have to live in a world full of creatures that are ready to take you the right to your own life at all times? The only way to escape was death. But one day, as with many others, everything has changed. Because of Daryl Dixon. Why did he just save you? Who were you for him? Just a little piece of shit that bothered him and he would have liked to throw you in a ton full of other garbage and trash. That’s what you thought from day one when he greeted you in his arms. But, above all, why did a man who is so rude, so wild, so full of strength, so apathetic, and yet endearing, begin to love and appreciate life? For what reason? Was it because of you? You just didn’t understand it. Before your eyes, you saw your life pass by. Before and after the epidemic. What happened? Are you dying right now? You could hear your heart scream, which continued to beat without stopping, begging you to stay alive. But why? Nothing and nobody has yet bound you to this earthly world. Although… You were wrong about that phrase. You would never have dared to admit it, but Daryl Dixon had annoyed you from the moment you saw him. His face, his body, his almost selfish and unscrupulous nature, his movements and attacks of jealousy and anger had ruined your life. In a positive sense. This man kept you alive. You loved him and he loved you. It couldn’t be denied. You couldn’t keep your hands off each other and didn’t want to lose each other. The distance would have killed both of you. Your bodies were addicted to each other and became more and more hungry for the passion and love of each other. You already missed him terribly. The long wait for him would torment you even when you’re dead. You even felt his hand brush against your face.

“Y/N, please don’t leave me…” You could hear his deep voice in the distance begging you not to leave this now corrupt world.

“Y/N… I will come back to you… I promise.”Strange. The sound of his voice grew louder, almost deafening. After an indeterminate but awfully long period of time, your eyelids parted like two dewy flowers that began to bloom to see the light of the invigorating sun. You kept closing your eyes over the blinding light in this place. Where were you? You couldn’t understand anything, let alone realize anything. Slowly you began to imagine the different elements that surrounded you. In front of me you saw a row of vertically arranged iron bars. Behind it opened large windows, from which came a warm white light. You lay on a cot, uncomfortable and hard with your head lying on a pillow of feathers. You tried to get up, but fell back immediately due to a jab at one of the two sides. Only now did you realize, because of the pain you were still alive. You pulled off the blanket and then the white shirt and saw a bandage covering your hips. On the left side, you noticed a red spot coming out of the bandages. Shit… So you tried to get up and slowly got out of bed. No sounds were heard. Just a deafening silence. You silently left the small room and left the cold iron bars behind you. There was a long corridor. You walked down the hallway and clung to a handrail leading to a steep staircase. You walked slowly down the stairs, made a lot of effort and gritted your teeth, because of the pain. And you were alone. There was nobody. How could you have landed in this place? Someone had to bring you here. You continued to walk down the long corridor full of small rooms and looked around for your benefactor. Suddenly you came to a door, red and slightly rusty, with a huge font: “Block C”. You were still standing watching the huge and thick door. Block C? With some difficulty you managed to open it and after walking through another dark corridor you finally came out of the building. The sun’s light blinded your vision and you had to cover your eyes with one hand.

“Y/N!” You heard a terribly loud voice calling your name. You moved your hand slowly aside, slightly frightened, but your eyes filled with joy and tears as you saw who was coming towards you.

“Carl!”, you screamed. The child threw his arms around your waist, but because of the stabbing pain, you fell to the ground.

“Y/N, are you all right?”, asked a worried but familiar voice. “Help me to get up, please …” You felt someone lifting your arms and covering your tired body and putting you on a cold bench.

“Y/N is everything okay?”

“Hershel?”, you whispered in confusion.

“How are you feeling?” You could hear his slightly sad tone.

“It’s better now, but my left hip still hurts a lot…”

“Let me see…” Hershel lifted your shirt slightly and began to gently release the bandage. You felt your hips free from this tight and painful bandage. It felt like a rope tied around your body. A rope? Immediately you remembered what had happened. The Governor. Daryl. Michonne. And (M/N)… Probably Michonne had brought you both back to your group after the accident…

“Hershel, where is Daryl?”, you asked in alarm.

“Don’t worry, he’s fine!”

“Please… Where is he?”

“I don’t know, he went out at dawn this morning and said he had to do something.” You looked at him confused and frowned in irritation. “You don’t have to worry about him, he’ll come back.” You clearly looked down while Hershel began to disinfect the wound and cover it with new bandages.

“You need to rest, otherwise the wound will take much longer to heal.” Hershel looked at you with an almost fatherly and loving look. He knew very well that you had no intention of going back into this damn building without Daryl. A prison… You would have stayed out here, waiting for your angel all night.

“You can stay out here, but you should not move, do we get along?” You smiled at him and agreed with a nod. He got up and disappeared around a corner of the cell block. You just looked at the horizon. The forest surrounded this seemingly huge prison. An endless fence prevented the Walkers from entering the fence. You had no idea how the others had managed to enter and conquer such a place. Impressive. But no matter how hard you tried not to think about Daryl, you couldn’t stop it. Where did he go? Damn… The hours went by and you sat on the bench and waited. What did he want to do so badly? You didn’t know it. So, you spent your time welcoming all of your friends and later, watching some of your group, your family, doing various things to make this place as comfortable as possible. Now you all could finally have started a new life. At least you were hoping for that. You saw Michonne coming in your direction, she had joined your family.

“Hey Y/N, how are you?”

You looked at her for a moment. “I’m feeling better, thanks.” You smiled at her.

“I have something to tell you…” Michonne sat down next to you with a dark face on the bench. “The ‘Governor’ managed to escape…”, she said and you looked at her in silence.

“Theoretically, he went back to Woodbury and now we don’t know what he’s up to… I’m sorry…”

“You don’t have to apologize to me, I have to thank you for saving my life, without you Daryl and I wouldn’t have made it…” She smiled and hugged you. “I’m glad you’re feeling better, but now I have to go and help.” You saw her getting up and when she said goodbye, she left. The sky was starting to turn orange, but Daryl still hadn’t returned. It was getting cold, so you decided to get up to get a blanket. At that moment you saw Glenn running to the gate, opening it and letting a motorbike in, it was as black as the night. Who was that? You could hear the rumbling noise get closer and closer, but you couldn’t identify the face of the person driving it because of the lack of visibility. After parking the bike, the man got down and turned his back on you. You opened your eyes more and more. You immediately recognized this vest with two huge white wings on the back…

“Daryl!”, you shouted while he was suddenly turning around and looking at you in surprise, and your eyes filling with tears.

You somehow didn’t seem to believe it… He started running to you and you did the same, with great effort. His arms caught you just before you fell to the ground because of the heavy load and pain.

“Y/N, are you crazy?”

You just looked at him with a smile.

“You can not strain yourself, your injury is not healed yet!”

How much you loved it when he accused you of that angry but sweet tone at the same time. He was just talking to you like a kid, as if you were awkward and grumpy… But there was only a small detail, rather a small mistake: You were his wife. The woman he loved.

“Now come with me.” You got up, wrapped your arms around his neck, kissed him and silenced him. You didn’t care about your health.

He was your only and true medicine. Daryl picked you up but didn’t pull away from your lips. He entered Block C and silently took you to one of the prison towers. Only he could of course choose a tower in which he could sleep, far away from everything and everyone. He laid you on the mattress, as he had done many times, and stretched himself out beside you. However, Daryl didn’t touch you because he was afraid of hurting you. You clung to him, holding him tight between your weak arms, letting him lull you in from his kisses and teleport you to another world.

“I knew you wouldn’t leave me…”, he whispered lovingly in your ear.

“I just couldn’t leave you…”, you answered with a smile.

“I never believed in God, but I asked him to keep you by my side.” You looked at him in surprise and with bright, big eyes. He kissed you. You felt his tongue entwine with yours and his teeth nibbled lightly on your lower lip. Suddenly he broke away and turned around. What have you done? Did you do something wrong?

“Do you remember that a few days ago you apologized for losing the Cherokee Roses I gave you?” Yes. You remembered and were visibly embarrassed now. “Yeah, I’m sorry, I’m still ashamed because of that…”

“Well, then keep these ones here.” He handed you three Cherokee Roses, even more beautiful than the ones he had given you before.

“Daryl…”

He leaned over you and filled you with kisses. Daryl pressed you to his body without hurting you, very carefully and lovingly. How much you loved him. Then he took a blanket and put it on top of you. You approached his chest and leaned your head close to his heart.

“Y/N, did I ever tell you?”

“What…?”, you whispered happily and kinda curiously.

“I love you, and I will continue to love you, always…”

“Me too, Daryl Dixon, forever…”

The epidemic had brought death and destruction. A few souls had managed to survive with difficulty. Every moral value was destroyed. All social relationships are broken. Hope only lived in some hearts. And probably there was no cure. Only the walking dead. But one thing was certain. By the end of the world you finally met your true love. Daryl Dixon.

“We are alone…”, he whispered softly.

“But still together…”, you answered as you both started kissing passionately and yearningly each other.


End file.
